After suddenly stumbling upon the wikipedia definition of a chair and also having difficulties describing the in-depth details of a character to an artist, I realized that my actual ability to describe real objects is as limited as my ability to draw anatomically correct things.

So it seems that even writing is not free of the burden of needing references to make things look accurate or real.

Or is it?

Describe an every day object (e.g No dragons or specific flower species or unpronounceable diseases) and compare it to a wikipedia page / dictionary.

1. Don't write an essay ! Kudos for being close to traditionally accepted descriptions and kudos for referencing traditional dictionaries.

2. Describe said common object as you'd like. As an excerpt in a story or as a clinical, exact description, or as a joke. So long as the reader understands it!

The aim of this workshop is to flex those descriptive muscles, obviously. But also to remind you that not everything should be taken for granted. e.g describe what a cellphone is. Not so easy is it? And technically, do cellphones even exist anymore in this day and age? Why the word 'cell' and not 'smart'? What's the difference?

This reminds me of a job interview I had once. They asked me to describe brushing my teeth to someone who had never done it before and had no concept of it. They took the idea a little too far I think (when I said enter your bathroom, they made me explain the concept of a bathroom as well), but it was enlightening. It was all a metaphor to explain the teaching process on the job.

A pencil:

A pencil is a cylindrical object around 6" long. The central cylinder is made of graphite, a black material that leaves marks on what it touches. Around the graphite is a cylindrical casing of wood, which you use to hold the graphite and not stain your own hands. The wood is usually painted yellow. One end of the pencil is sharpened to a symmetrical point, which reveals the graphite and allows you to write. The other end has an erraser attached. The erraser is a small piece of pink rubber, attached to the wood with a metal loop. The erraser has the effect of removing the laid down layer of graphite when rubbed against it. This let's you remove any mistakes you make.

Trash can is a object where you put rash. It is usually in form of a bucket, but can be other forms too. It is usually made out of metal or plastic. You usually keep it inside the house. People usually put a plastic bag in there and when it is full, they take the plastic bag and put the bag into a bigger trash can outside.

@Coryn as expected of an engineer haha. My only gripe is the use of inches hehe.

A belt:

A flattened elongated cylindrical (think a flat snake) object usually made out of leather (or made to look like leather) used to fasten trousers to a human person. This is achieved by looping them around a person's waist.

Due to the difficulty of calculating the radius of every user of a belt, and because they are often visible to others, they serve a both cultural and practical use. The material used in a belt and the binding - named a buckle - determine the price, while the length of the belt determine who wants to buy it in the first place.

Gah! I hate it when workshops I make turn out to be super difficult for me haha.

Normally it can be about 44" or bigger. You can walk in the rain because the material is made of polyester or nylon. People also use it to be protected from the sun. It's basically a portable folding canopy supported by wooden or metal ribs, which is usually mounted on a wooden, metal, or plastic pole. It comes in a variety of colors and sizes. Normally It's very light and portable. It's a collapsible shade which protects against whether.

A simple carbohydrate known for its many applications; from professional culinary pursuits to the gruelling grind of siege craft. It can be as small as sand, snow or seeds yet also be one of their colours. They are a craze for some and a bore to others. It rhymes with price yet its value is low, thrice in that it's a common meal, spice because the two go well together, and nice since who doesn't like the small versatile grain known as...